Page 1 Paradise & Gell has been located on Michael Street in Peel since 1974. Here you will find a wide range of furnishings to enhance any living space. Whether you are looking for something contemporary or a more traditional piece, then look no further than Paradise & Gell. Page 2 Contents Page 2 Secretary's Notes Page 3 Chairman's Chat Page 4 YBN “Happy Birthday Cadwell Park” Page 7 The Folly of Youth Page 14 New Members Page 15 Forthcoming Events Page 17 Floggers Corner Page 20 Book Review - Rebel Read - The Prince of Speed Page 22 Trials Results Page 24 Trials Pics Page 26 What to do? Page 30 Rider Profile No. 24 - Artie Bell Page 31 Gold Star Girl - Beatrice Shilling Editor: Harley Richards [email protected] Cover Picture:- It isn’t just nitrous oxide and turbos for the Jurby post- MGP drag races……. Page 1 Secretary’s Notes Hi Everyone, I have been taking it very carefully recently, with no riding bikes, due to a trapped sciatic nerve. If anyone out there has a quick cure, please let me know!! The VMCC UK continues to tear itself apart with claims and counter claims but so far, despite all the criticism of the Directors, no Section has come up with a working alternative solution. Many are now calling for the resignation of the Board, however, unless there are people prepared to take on the work at HQ, surely we now have to give the Board a chance to put things right? The staff at HQ must be completely demoralised and it will take strong leadership to reassure them that their jobs are safe. Let us hope that the Isle of Man Section never gets itself into this kind of mess!! The MGP Rally and Festival of Jurby were both a great success, we are still paying some outstanding bills but hopefully the Section made a reasonable profit from the whole enterprise. I would like to thank all of those volunteers who turned out to help, especially at Jurby where the hi-viz jackets were well in evidence, as the Health and Safety brigade requested. We are already planning for 2015, Jurby has been booked and your Section is in the process of registering the names “Jurby Festival” and “Festival of Jurby”, as an insurance against anyone else jumping onto the bandwagon. We will once again be attending the Stafford Bike Show in October, represent- ing the Festival of Motorsport, which includes the Classic TT, and also the International VMCC MGP and TT Rallies. If last year was anything to go by, demand for dates and information gets earlier and earlier, so a provisional timetable of events has already been agreed. Hopefully, we will be able to fit in another Jurby track day before October is out. This proved to be a very popular fixture and, if it does go ahead, I hope you will turn out in your droves to support the event. With our season of Road Runs coming to an end, please don’t forget the Club nights and Trials events which are still taking place. Gary Corlett has now produced a Facebook page for the Page 2 Chairman’s chat After the recent spell of good weather, it seems impossible that darker winter nights will soon be upon us and winter club nights beckon. We are in urgent need of speakers for the winter season so if you have any ideas please let me know. Tony has covered all the major news in his piece but I will add my thanks to everyone who helped in any way with the rally and Jurby, it certainly helped to share the load. Last month's article on Pride and Clarke must have brought memories to all of us who looked longingly through local dealer's windows at shiny new bikes, or of standing in a queue waiting for that essential spare part. Let us all share your memories of your riding experiences, it would be interesting to compare notes! I'll keep it brief this time and don't forget the second Thursday of the month, it's Knock Froy which means sausage and chips in good company. Richard VMCC Isle of Man Section, which is a very good place to see photos and details of our events and also to post anything relevant to our Section. Our Section is unique within the VMCC movement as we have one thing going for us that no other Section has, the “TT” - known world wide as synonymous with the Isle of Man. An idea that has been on my mind for some time is “Friends of the VMCC Isle of Man”. Emerging counties such as India and China etc. have plenty of wealthy bikers who might be prepared to pay to receive Vintage Mann, a sew on badge, access to our web site, to follow us on Face- book, to get help in organising their trip via a leading IOM holiday company, and to be welcomed into our friendly environment rather than going it alone. If any member is interested in a meeting to work up the idea plus any other benefits they can think of, please contact me, with the intention of then present- ing “the way ahead” at one of our Club Nights at Knock Froy. Anyway enough from me, let us start thinking and, of course, riding. Tony Page 3 Yellow Belly Notes Happy Birthday Cadwell Park “It is unlikely that a circuit will ever be built in such a stunning location again.” These are words written by circuit manager Jon Rush in the introduction to the programme produced for Cadwell’s 80th anniversa- ry celebrations (Pic 1). Set amongst the rolling hills of Pic 1 the Lincolnshire Wolds on the road between Louth and Horncastle, Cadwell Park is a narrow, winding, technical track which, when ridden well, is rewarding. The list of Yellow Belly racers who cut their teeth on the circuit is an impressive one. Two riders who are part of the Cadwell story: Malcom Wheeler (Pic 2). As a lad he used to cycle to the races and find his own “unofficial” entrance to the circuit. Now the editor of “Classic Racer”, Malc achieved three TT podiums and re-discovered his Ducati racer on the island. He was club steward for Louth and District MC and one of the original instruc- tors at the first Cadwell Park Race School. Derek Chatterton. Pictured on the cover of the programme and (Pic 3) seated on my ‘macchi, Derek is synonymous with the term Yellow Belly Racer. Starting on a 250cc Velocette and then moving on to a 250cc Aermacchi, purchased from Bill Webster in Crewe, he rode with success on Page 4 Pic 2 Racer. Starting on a 250cc Velocette and then moving on to a 250cc Pic 3 Page 5 several marques but it is with the Yamaha that he is best known. In 1971, at the September International meeting, he won the main race from Ago’s MV and John Cooper’s BSA. In 1975 he was second in the 250cc TT, fifth in the 350 and 19th in the Senior, having previously won the North West 200. The “Chat Yam” was the bike to beat. On Sunday 3rd August 2014, the crowds returned to the circuit in British Superbike numbers and, just like the Jurby Festival Day, it was a huge success. Auto 66 races and parades (of Champions) provided us all with a memorable day. Pat Sproston. Louth. Lincolnshire Appendix: A short list of Yellow Belly racers, in no particular order: Freddie Frith, Dickie Dale, Jackie Beeton and Les Nutt, Steve Machin, Rob Maltby, Pete Boast, Roger Marshall, Rob McElnea, Neil Tuxworth, Steve Plater, Gary Johnson, Guy Martin, and living on your island, John and Hilary Musson. The new generation is represented by riders such as the Lowes twins and, making his debut as a newcomer at this year's MGP, Craig Neve. Page 6 The FOLLY of YOUTH Allan Jermieson’s rather affectionate tale of working life with Pride & Clarke in the ‘60s certainly stirred up distant memories for me. The article coincided with delivery of my latest acquisition – a 1949 girder fork Gilera Saturno and transported me straight back to 27th May 1966 when I bought my first Gilera from, you’ve guessed it , Pride and Clarke! I had part exchanged my 250cc YDS2 Yamaha (PIC:1) against a year old 125cc Gilera Six Days Spe- cial (PIC:2) and many of you might think (as did my closest biking friends at the Pic 1 time) that I was mad to trade in the fastest learner legal bike of the day for something much slower and, it has to be said, rather Pic 1 unfashionable. However, for me it was a “no brainer”. Running the Yamaha as a 17 year old school- boy (I won the bike in an MCN competition) on my paper round income of Pic 2 Page 7 ten shillings a week was impossible. But, more importantly to me, two of my mates had bought 125 Gileras and they were having so much fun on these lightweights I simply wanted to share the pleasure. There was also a competitive edge to it, we were all aspiring roadracers (don’t laugh – we were in deadly earnest!) and it was therefore very important to test my ability around the local lanes against equal machinery. If I remember correctly, the UK’s Gilera importer was George Clarke who ran his business from Brixton, only a mile or two from P&C in Stockwell Road, and a new Gilera retailed at £149.19.11d.